Browsing All Posts filed under »Popular Culture«

Every now and then I’m asked about the legitimacy of the silk facing on the white dinner jacket featured in Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom. My answer is that while it might be legitimate for the 1980s production timeline it certainly wasn’t for the 1930s narrative. Of the dozens of Depression-era white DJ references I have on file from leading menswear […]

It took over four years but President Obama finally got himself a tuxedo that suits his status. For those unfamiliar with Obama’s history of unstatesman-like choices in formal apparel, it began back in his days as a youthful senator. His tuxedos then were admirably conservative thanks to details like one-button styling and formally trimmed pockets but they also featured modern notched lapels and were typically accompanied by […]

Alright, I’m a little late to the party on this one. Although Suits debuted in 2011 I wasn’t interested in watching yet another legal drama. However, at the recent urging of my sister I finally checked it out and was quickly hooked not just for the exquisite menswear the show has become famous for, but […]

Annie Leibovitz has taken some creative liberty for the cover of the 20th annual Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue, combining white-tie accessories with black-tie jackets to recreate the look of informal Edwardian evening wear. Or perhaps she intended to capture the Downton Abbey-esque glory of full dress only to realize at the last moment that she couldn’t locate […]

Season 4 of Downton Abbey is now airing on PBS and the fictional Grantham household is continuing to adapt to the social changes brought about by World War I. For her part, the Victorian-minded Dowager Countess is still no more accepting of informal dinner jackets than previously. In episode 4, she converses with her tuxedo-clad […]

Ever since Hollywood immortalized the tailcoat and tuxedo as symbols of the good life in the 1930s, marketers have sought to impart their prestige onto a wide range of products and services. This ongoing series highlights some examples. Swiss espresso machine manufacturer Jura (YOO rah) calls their 2013 marketing campaign “Coffee culture for people with […]

I had a glimpse into the current state of black tie in England when I received the latest copy of Square Mile, a lifestyle magazine aimed at the professionals working in London’s financial centre. The Autumn/Winter Style Special features dinner suits in two ads, one article and a title page and even as the prize […]